Breaking Point
by MyImmortal329
Summary: Michaela and Sully have everything they could want. Nice jobs, a nice house, and a beautiful six-month-old baby. Just as they're about to take another step in their lives, one afternoon in the park changes everything forever. Read and Review, please!
1. Waking Up

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. I wish I did, but I don't! They belong to Beth Sullivan and CBS. I guess Hallmark or A&E too, though they COULD re-run them once in a while. Ok, back to the story.**

**Breaking Point**

**Chapter 1: Waking Up**

He woke to the sound of laughter coming from the nursery. Blinking and rubbing his eyes as they adjusted to the sunlight, Sully sat up in bed and threw the covers off. He found glanced at the clock. 9:00. He loved Saturdays, because neither he nor Michaela worked, and they had time to stay at home and spend time together as a family. Because Michaela ran her own private practice a few blocks away, it was much easier on them than when she was doing rounds at the hospital twelve hours a day.

He got up and pulled on his usual Saturday morning attire, a pair of black sweatpants and a white t-shirt. He crept barefoot out of the bedroom and peeked into the nursery, where Michaela sat in the rocking chair next to the crib, holding the baby in the air, bringing her down to kiss her cheek and then holding her back up, causing the baby to laugh happily. He smiled, leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms, feeling so at peace watching his two favorite girls together.

Michaela laughed, as her daughter's face grew red with laughter, and she finally settled her down on her lap.

"You're a happy girl this morning, aren't you?" she asked, brushing her fingers through her long, auburn hair. "Why don't we go wake Daddy up with a big kiss?"

"Too late," Sully said from the doorway, grinning.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sully. Did we wake you up?" Sully crossed the room and knelt down next to the rocking chair, placing his hand on Michaela's knee.

"Yeah, but that's alright. I'd rather wake up to the sound of you two laughin' anyday instead of that alarm clock." Michaela grinned and leaned down so she could kiss him. Morning breath aside, good-morning kisses were always the best.

"Good morning."

"Mornin'," he replied with a wink. "How's my girl this mornin'?" He reached out for his daughter.

"Say, I had a bottle and a clean diaper, and now I'm happy as a clam," Michaela said for her daughter, passing the baby to her father. "Right, Miss Katie?" Sully walked over to the window with the baby, and Michaela got up, stretching out. "I'm going to get a shower."

"Alright. We'll just hang out right here, won't we, Kates?" Michaela smiled, turning to leave the room. When she reached the door, she turned again to watch her husband and daughter together. He held her up, just as she'd done, and he placed kisses on her nose. Michaela's heart warmed. She'd never thought she could have it all, but in this moment, she couldn't have asked for more.

* * *

He knew his wife's routine like the back of his own hand. She brushed her teeth first, then she brushed out her long hair. By the time she turned on the water to shower, little Katie had fallen back to sleep in her father's arms. When Sully heard the water sprinkling down in the master bathroom, he got a wicked idea.

With a smile, he placed Katie back into her crib ever-so-gently as not to wake her. Then he tiptoed out of the room and down the hall to the bedroom. Michaela had left the bathroom door open, so he quickly undressed, tossed his clothes clumsily onto the bed and snuck into the bathroom.

He could see her naked form through the blurry glass, and he slowly reached for the door, opening it up. She was washing her face, leaning into the stream of water, so he easily snuck up behind her in the large shower. It was when his hands moved to her shoulders that she jumped and spun around into his arms.

"Sully!" she exclaimed.

"Shh," he whispered, placing his finger to his lips. "Katie went back to sleep, so I thought…" Michaela knew the look in his eyes all too well, and she grinned a little, her heart rate starting to slow after the scare.

"Are you sure you put her to sleep, or is she lying in there screaming at the top of her lungs because Daddy wanted some alone time with Mommy?"

"Oh, scout's honor. She's sleepin'." Sully grinned, pulling his wife's body against his. She giggled, as his lips found her collarbone, and he began to move his way up to her neck.

"Mmm," she moaned, her knees turning to jelly. "I love you so much."

"Me too," Sully whispered, capturing her lips with his. "I love you more than anything."

"Good," she giggled, as he pressed her back against the wall and began his slow descent down her body, kissing her, worshiping her, memorizing every little thing about the most perfect body he'd ever seen.

They lay in each other's arms, still damp from the shower. They were tucked under the covers, completely oblivious to the rest of the world, except to the soft sounds of Katie's breathing that they picked up through the monitor.

"That was certainly a nice wake up call," Michaela grinned.

"Well, it wasn't really. You were already awake. Guess I'll have to try harder tomorrow." Michaela smiled, as he strengthened his hold on her. He nuzzled his face in her hair, taking in the scent, reveling in the feel of her silky locks against his skin.

"Do we have to get out of bed today?" he asked. "I mean, we could just…you know…"

"Sully!" she giggled, swatting him under the covers. "We can't stay here forever. We do have a child to take care of."

"Well, yeah, but…we could get a babysitter." Michaela rolled her eyes.

"A babysitter just so we can stay in bed. Yeah, great idea, honey." She poked him, but he held her tighter in his arms.

"Oh, come on," he played, "you're _sure _you don't want to?" He kissed the sensitive spot behind her ear, and she almost cried out for him to do whatever he wanted, but she came to her senses, pulling herself out of his arms.

"Hey, stop that," she said, her face flushed. She didn't really want him to stop, but if they were going to do anything today, she had to get out of bed now, before she melted in his arms again. "We have to do _something_ productive today, Sully. Why don't we…"

"We can do somethin' productive right here." He patted the warm spot on the bed where she'd just been laying.

"Oh no," she laughed, shaking her head.

"C'mon," he grinned. "Ya said yourself ya wanted to try for another one right away."

"Well, yes, but…Sully! No! Sully!" she shrieked, as he got out of bed and started to pursue her. He had that look in his eyes, and she, grinning just as wickedly, turned and rushed out of the room, her hair flying behind her as she rushed down the stairs. He was right behind her in full pursuit.

She dodged into the kitchen, and it was then that she was cornered. It was either face her husband or risk the neighbors across the field getting a show. She turned, her back to the fridge, and she panted heavily, as Sully came into the room.

"Don't you dare," she laughed, failing miserably at trying to sound serious. She picked up a rubber spatula and held it out. "I want to warn you, Sully. I know how to use this thing." Sully raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah? Then how come we're orderin' take out from Grace's every night?"

"Oh you!" Michaela exclaimed, chucking the spatula at him a little too vigorously. It hit him right in the face, and he cried out, as she covered her mouth with shock. "Oh my God! Sully! I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright," he grimaced, as Michaela rushed over to him.

"Let me see."

"No, it's alright."

"Sully, let me see!" she urged, taking his had away from his eye. He had a small red mark just under his eye, but it was nothing serious.

"Will I live?" he asked, teasingly.

"Oh, I think so," she replied. "I should kiss it and make it better, just to be sure." She stood on her tiptoes and softly pressed her lips against the small spot. She softly blew on it and smiled as she backed away. "I'm sorry."

"Well, maybe…maybe one more kiss, and I could forgive ya." Michaela smiled and kissed him softly, her lips against his, as she snaked her arms around his neck.

"Mmm," she moaned against his lips. He pulled back a little.

"Hey, I thought you were supposed to be makin' me feel better."

"Oh, I forgot," she teased. "I am the doctor, after all."

"Yep," he replied. He kissed her forehead and sighed, realizing how cool it felt in the kitchen. "Alright. Alright. I'll go finish getting ready." She smiled triumphantly.

"I was thinking we could take Katie to the park today. I know she's still too little to play, but it would be a nice day for a walk." Sully nodded.

"Alright," he replied with a smile. "You're gonna get her ready?"

"Just as soon as she wakes from her nap. I think I'll call Grace and…"

"Order breakfast?" he teased.

"No!" she balked. "Well, actually, I could go for one of her omelets." She rolled her eyes at him. "No, I just want to talk to her."

"Ya might wanna get dressed first. Might get a little chilly sittin' in here like that." Michaela looked down and blushed a little before hurrying up the stairs in front of her husband. Sully smiled after her, loving how certain things still embarrassed her a little. But she was so much more open about her body with him now, and each day, she seemed to make him feel like the luckiest man on Earth.

* * *

"Hi Dr. Mike," Grace said cheerfully on the other line.

"Are you busy, Grace?"

"No. No, Robert E.'s helpin' me out by cleanin' downstairs in the café. He said, and I quote 'just relax. Put your feet up. Let me help you out. You just take it easy for once.' So that's what I'm doin'!" Grace laughed, and Michaela smiled.

"Husbands," she grinned.

"Are you and Sully comin' in today?"

"Umm, we might stop by," she replied. "We got a late start this morning." Grace could practically _hear _Michaela blushing.

"Uh-huh," Grace smirked.

"What?"

"Late start?"

"Yes!" Michaela replied. "We, uh, we got a late start, because, um, Katie didn't sleep well, and…"

"Oh _fine. _Blame your poor, innocent baby…" Michaela sighed.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Dr. Mike, I've been married long enough to know how happy I am after…"

"Grace!"

"I'm just sayin'…you sound happy, Dr. Mike. I'm happy for ya. I know things have been kinda crazy over there since the baby came home from the hospital. It's just good to know that not all couples get stressed out to the point of fighting after a baby comes into the picture."

"Well, I threw a spatula at him this morning. Does that count?"

"What?" Grace asked, nearly choking on her coffee. "Have you lost your mind, Dr. Mike."

"No," she laughed. "No, he was, uh, chasing me through the house this morning…"

"Ohhhh…chasing you, huh?"

"He wanted to work on having another baby."

"And you don't want to?"

"Of course I do! I just thought we should do something productive today, since it's Saturday. And he suggested…well, something productive, I guess." Graces laughed.

"Oh, you newlyweds. So why'd you throw a spatula at him."

"Because he mentioned how I can't cook. I didn't meant to hit him." She laughed a little. "He's fine."

"Good," Grace grinned. "But you know, I'm never going to walk into your kitchen again without thinking of…well, _whatever_ it was you two were doing in there."

"Oh, Grace!"

"What? Oh, come on, Dr. Mike. You're happy, and I'm happy for you. I'm just joking with you." She smiled. Michaela sighed softly. "So everything's going alright?"

"Yes," Michaela replied. "Grace, I can't remember ever being so happy. I have my practice, and I have my family. I'm probably one of the luckiest doctors. Sure, I'm on call a lot, but I'm always home by five o'clock, and I get the weekends off. And I have my little girl." She shook her head. "And Sully and I definitely want to give her a brother or a sister. We're still getting used to having her though."

"When Anthony was born, me and Robert E. were just about at each other's throats every night. It was a lot of stress, but Anthony had colic real bad. But we worked things out, and we're happy now. You're lucky your baby came out pretty well-behaved."

"Don't say that too loudly. She might hear you and think she's being too easy on us," Michaela smiled. Grace giggled.

"Oh, speakin' of babies. I hear Anthony wakin' up. I have to let you go for now."

"Alright. We'll probably stop by to see you later, Grace."

"I look forward to it. Bye."

"Goodbye!" Michaela hung up and sunk back onto the bed, sprawled out in the covers wearing a flowing sundress that she'd picked out before Katie was born. It was her goal dress, the dress she wanted to be able to fit into after having a baby. Just last week she'd discovered that she could wear it, and since the cool weather was coming in soon, she knew this was one of her last chances to wear it.

Sully came walking out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and a toothbrush in his mouth. Michaela watched him finishing drying off and pull on his boxers and his pants. He tightened the belt, and she shivered, remembering the multiple times she'd pulled that belt from the loops. She swallowed hard, trying to get the memory out of her head, because in a few moments, she knew she'd be ready to call him back to bed. He knew she was watching, so he winked at her in the mirror, causing her to blush. She got up out of bed, and she moved across the room to him.

"Katie's all ready to go. She's waiting in the stroller. She's still sleeping."

"I'll be ready in just a minute." His words were garbled due to the toothbrush, so he made his way back to the bathroom. She heard the water run, him slurping it up, swishing, and then gargling. Then he spat it out, wiped off his mouth, and came back into the bedroom with a minty-fresh breath. He kissed her softly, and she kissed him back.

"Ooh, mint. My favorite." She kissed him again, and she stepped back, wondering how long it would take him to notice the dress. Not missing a beat, Sully glanced his wife over.

"You look beautiful. New dress?"

"Yes," she replied, her eyes lighting up. "I bought it when I was pregnant. I wanted to surprise you…"

"It fits real nice," he said, placing his hands on either side of her waist. "Real nice."

"I'm glad you approve!" Her eyes twinkled. "Do you know what this means?"

"No…?"

"Well," she said quietly, her voice trailing off.

"Yeah?"

"Well, you know how we talked about having another baby right away?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I made myself a promise. If I could lose all the weight I gained during the pregnancy, I'd be ready to have another baby."

"And…?"

"I've thought about it for a few days, and I'm definitely ready. I know…I know Katie's still very young, but Sully, this feels very right. If I were to get pregnant now, I think it would be…right." Sully nodded, smiling.

"So you're sure? So we're…officially tryin'?"

"We're trying," she grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him lovingly. He pulled her closer, moaning softly against her lips as she opened up for him. In that moment, it was bliss, and both of them were sure this happiness would last forever.

_Author's Note: I'm finishing the story up right now, so don't worry about this one not getting finished. It'll be finished today. ;)_


	2. The Walk

**Chapter 2: The Walk**

"Hey Dr. Mike! Sully," Loren Bray, the owner of the little grocery store down the street said, as he came out from behind the register. "Oh, there's that little girl." He chuckled and bent down slowly to gently pinch her cheeks. "Oh, look at you, Miss Katherine Sully. Are you givin' your mommy and daddy as much trouble as I told ya to?" Sully chuckled, and Michaela shook her head.

"Sorry, Loren. She's a very well-behaved little girl," Michaela said with a smile.

"Maybe you can corrupt the next one," Sully offered. "If it's a boy, I'm sure he's gonna hang onto every word you say." Loren eyed the two.

"Does this mean…"

"No," Michaela and Sully said quickly. Michaela smiled. "Not yet."

"Oh. Well…what brings ya by?"

"We promised we'd bring her by," Michaela said happily. "Katie, you remember Mr. Bray?"

"She should. She spit up all over me last time I held her." The tone in Loren's voice wasn't stern though. He hadn't held a baby in his arms since his own daughter was an infant, and now she was some high-class business woman in New York City who rarely had time to come home and visit. Loren had grandchildren, but he only got to see them once a year at Christmas if he was lucky. Katie was the closest thing he had to a granddaughter. "Come here, little one." He scooped the baby up out of her stroller and held her close. "Boy, she's sure getting big. How much does she weigh now?"

"Almost seventeen pounds. That's pretty normal for a six month old." Loren bounced Katie in his arms before putting her back down in her stroller.

"Can I get anything for ya today?"

"No thanks, Loren. We're just heading out for a walk," Sully explained. "We might stop by afterward and get a package of diapers."

"Alright. I'll see you all in a little bit. Bye Katie." Katie gave Loren a gummy grin, before Michaela and Sully strolled her out of the store.

"To the park?" Michaela suggested, after they walked down the street a ways.

"Sounds good to me," Sully said with a nod. At that moment, Sully's pager went off. He sighed heavily. When he checked the number, he realized it was his boss.

"Sully?"

"Sorry, Michaela. I gotta take this." He pulled out his cell phone, only to discover that the battery was dead. Michaela's was used for patient emergencies only, so he didn't want to tie up her line.

"I need to use a pay phone. Can you wait here, or…"

"I'll just keep going toward the park. Catch up, alright?"

"'Course I will." He leaned in, kissing her on the cheek. I'll see you in a minute." Michaela nodded, and she started off toward the park, while Sully backtracked to the mercantile. After a few minutes, he arrived and hurried inside.

"Back already?" Loren asked, looking at the clock. He was helping Hank Lawson, a bartender, bag up his groceries. Hank nodded toward Sully, and Sully nodded back in acknowledgment.

"No, my boss paged me. I need to use your payphone…"

"Oh, save yourself fifty cents. You can use the phone in the back office."

"Thanks Loren." He hurried back and picked up the phone, dialing his work office, which was right now at a construction site in the next town. After three rings, his boss picked up.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Morrison?"

"Oh, yeah. Hey, Sully. Are you free today?"

"Uh, actually I'm not. Why? What do you need?"

"We're havin' a little trouble. Murphy called in sick today, and Jones pulled a muscle in his back."

"Oh. Well, I'm out with my wife and baby right now, but I can talk to her, and…"

"Oh, don't worry about it. I can probably get Simon to come in."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah, it's no big deal. Go spend some time with your family. I might need you to work over a few hours next week, so consider this my apology in advance." Sully sighed and nodded.

"Alright. Thanks Mr. Morrison." Sully hung up and headed out of the office.

"Everything alright?" Loren asked.

"I think the job's going to take a little longer. Not that I mind. The longer I'm workin' in Manitou, the longer it'll be until I have to leave Michaela and the baby for longer periods of time. I just ain't ready for that. We're…we're wantin' to have another."

"Well, it'll all work out, Sully," Loren said, putting a hand on the younger man's shoulder. You know if it comes to you havin' to leave town for a while, I'll check in on Dr. Mike and little Katie for ya."

"I appreciate that, Loren. I think Michaela does too." Loren nodded.

"Any time. I'm just a phone call away." Sully nodded his thanks again and he hurried out toward the park.

* * *

"Look at how big you're getting!" Michaela exclaimed, sitting down in the soft grass near a small creek. She held Katie, and Katie stood on her own two feet, with her mother's help. "Oh, you're growing up so quickly! You're going to have to stop growing so fast, or I won't be able to keep up with you! It won't be long, and you're going to be running all around this park catching butterflies and chasing the boys." Michaela giggled. "Well, let's hope the boys come along a little later, but whatever happens, I'm your mother, and I love you. I'll always be here for you." She looked over her shoulder toward the park entrance. "Daddy should be here soon. Yes!"

She heard something nearby and looked but saw nothing. Furrowing her brows, Michaela frowned and stood, placing Katie in the stroller.

"It's alright, sweetheart. Let's go wait for Daddy at the entrance." Michaela turned again, and out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a flash of white. She looked, only to see something moving just beyond the trees. She heard a loud grunt followed by a scream, and that's when her heart began to pound. "Oh my God." Katie began to cry, as a scream erupted through the trees. Michaela took hold of the stroller and began to run for help, but it was then that she heard yelling, and in a moment, she felt two arms grab her and start to drag her off. She screamed loudly, but everything went black, and the screaming of her baby was all she heard as she faded into darkness.

* * *

Sully had heard a scream in the distance. It hadn't sounded like his wife's, but he picked up the pace anyway. By the time he was a block away from the park, he could hear his daughter's distinctive cries. He picked up the pace again from jogging to running, and within moments, he was hurdling through the park gates. He froze in his tracks, seeing nothing but the baby's stroller overturned in the grass. His stomach felt heavy, and his heart dropped. God no.

"Michaela!" He ran for the stroller, praying that his child was alright, but his entire being wondering where the hell his wife was. When he reached the stroller, Katie was still strapped inside. She didn't appear to be harmed, but as he turned the stroller right side up, he checked her all over. She was crying, tears streaming down her eyes.

"It's alright, Katie. It's alright. Where's Mommy?" Katie only cried harder, as Sully looked every which direction for his wife. "Michaela! MICHAELA!" He wanted to go in search of her, but he couldn't leave his daughter. He had to get her to the hospital and have her checked. But Michaela….

"Somebody help! HELP!" A young couple who had just come into the park with a picnic basket came running to his side.

"Hey Mister, what's wrong?" the young woman asked.

"My wife…have you seen…uh, she was wearing a blue sundress. Long hair…uh…I think…flat white shoes. Uh…"

"No, I'm sorry, we haven't seen anybody," the man replied. We just pulled up right outside…came in for a picnic."

"You didn't see anybody?" Sully asked, panicking.

"Nope. Nobody come in or gone out…except you. Least not in the last two minutes. Why?"

"She was here with…with the baby. I…I have to find her."

"Chad, I think you better call the police." The man nodded and stepped away to use the phone. Sully took the baby in his arms and held her close, rocking her, as tears of frustration and fear flooded his eyes.

"She's alright. She's gotta be."

"Sir, is there anything I can get you?"

"No…I…I just need my wife."

"Your little girl…is she alright?"

"I don't know. I think so. I don't know."

"Chad," she said over her shoulder, "tell them to send an ambulance just in case. Tell them to hurry." She knelt down next to Sully

"I'm Amanda."

"Sully," he said, shaken. "You didn't see anybody? Didn't hear anything?"

"I'm sorry," she said sadly. "The police will be here soon. I'm sure they can help you find your wife."

"Who's the broad?" came a gravelly voice from the driver's seat.

"She saw it…I didn't have a choice."

"Ya shoulda just cut and run. We coulda done this some other time!"

"Sorry, but we had orders. I wasn't missing out on the big pay. No way. I got mouths to feed to, ya know?"

"So what the Hell are we gonna do with her? Huh?"

"I don't know. Just let me think, alright?"

"She see your face?

"No. I…I don't think so. She was running for help, but she didn't see me." The other man hit the steering wheel angrily.

"Well, you better think of somethin' fast, because I have a feeling it ain't gonna be easy keepin' her quiet."

Michaela groaned quietly, grimacing as she forced her eyes open. Her vision was blurred, and everything around her was so loud. She was shaking physically, and she knew she was in a vehicle, because she could feel it every time the tires hit a bump. She looked around, seeing nothing in the darkness, except for another still form lying nearby. She couldn't tell who it was, and she didn't know where she was. All she could think about were Sully and Katie.

"My baby," she whispered. "Sully…?" Her words were barely audible, even to herself, and as they continued to speed down the road, she slipped back into unconsciousness.

Sully sat in the back of the ambulance as paramedics checked his daughter. Police were combing through the park, while some were gathered around him, asking him questions.

"When was the last time you saw your wife, Mr. Sully?"

"Uh…about…about a half hour ago. I…I had to go back to the store to use the phone, because my battery was dead."

"Who were you calling?"

"What? Uh, my boss."

"Alright, and did anybody see you at the grocery store?" Sully eyed the cops.

"What? What? You think I had somethin' to do with this? You're gonna try to blame me for whatever happened to my wife?"

"Whoa, there's no need to get hostile, Mr. Sully." Sully wondered if he'd maybe just made himself look worse. He didn't care. He just wanted his wife back. "Just answer the question."

"Yes." His jaw clenched. "Loren Bray. He runs the grocery story on Springer Street. And Hank Lawson. He's the head bartender at The Gold Nugget on 5th." He closed his eyes, as his daughter's cries pierced the air. "Is she alright?"

"She's fine, but she needs to be watched carefully over the next few days for signs of any head trauma. There are no external indications, and I don't see any reason she should have to stay at the hospital." Sully nodded.

"Thanks," he said quietly.

"Are you alright, Mr. Sully?"

"What kind of a question is that?" he asked. "My wife is missing!"

"I meant physically," the younger paramedic asked.

"I'm fine. I'm…I'm fine."

"Sir, we can't file her as a mission person until she's been gone at least…"

"I don't care!" Sully exclaimed. "She is my _wife_, and she's missing!"

"You don't know that, sir! Please calm down."

"My wife wouldn't just run off and abandon our baby," he said, his voice shaking. "We…we're trying for another one, and she loves Kate so much. She wouldn't just leave her like that. Not Michaela."

"Sir, please…come to the station and fill out some paperwork, and we'll…"

"Why isn't anybody doing anything?!" he screamed.

"Sir, please calm down!" the officer urged. "We're doing everything we can do right now. If your wife doesn't return in twenty four hours, we will begin searching the woods for her."

"The woods? Why the hell would you search the woods? Somebody took her, don't you understand? You should be pulling over cars and checking trunks."

"Sir, if she is listed as a missing person, we will have to take into consideration all scenarios, but for now…"

"For now you're letting them get farther away. She could be dead before…"

"Sully! Sully!"

"Ma'am, this park is a crime scene, and…"

"I don't care, let me through!" Grace came rushing through the barrier.

"Sir, do you know this woman?" Sully nodded.

"She's a friend."

"Sully, what happened? I heard there was some commotion, and I just…I got a bad feelin'."

"Michaela's missin'."

"Oh my God! What happened?"

"Somebody took her…"

"We don't know that," the officer interjected. Sully stood angrily, ready to deck the guy, but another officer held him back.

"Sir, please come down to the station to answer the questions."

"I ain't goin' to the station. I got a baby to take care of and a wife to look for. I can answer everything right here." The officers exchanged glances but decided that was better than nothing.

"Ma'am, could you please step away?"

"She can stay. She's Michaela's best friend." The officers exchanged glances again.

"Look at each other all ya want. I'm stayin'."

"I suppose that's alright. Mr. Sully, did your wife have any known enemies?" Sully wracked his brain, but his thoughts were jumbling every moment.

"No," he stammered. "I mean, she uh, well, she's a doctor. She's lost patients before. She's had families upset with her, angry, you know? But she's never been threatened."

"Do you have enemies, Mr. Sully?" Sully shook his head.

"No. I have competition in the construction business, but nothin' that would warrant takin' somebody's wife. No."

"Can I have their names, just to be certain?" Sully sighed.

"Mark Fields," he said, "and Dan Simon. They're both pretty competitive, always wantin' my job sites. But it's never been anything like this. Why would somebody kidnap someone's wife because they're jealous about a job?"

"People have done it for less." Sully's stomach turned.

"Now you're sayin' it's a kidnappin'?"

"Sir, I know you're upset. I understand."

"No you don't. You don't understand anything." He took Katie in his arms.

"Sully, I'll take you home."

"I wanna look for my wife."

"What you need to do is take care of that baby," Grace said softly. "It's gonna be ok."

"Sir?" Another officer stepped up. "We tried calling your wife's cell phone…"

"And?" The officer held out a plastic bag with the cell phone inside. Sully felt his world begin to collapse underneath him.

"We found this about thirty yards away." He pointed toward the tree line. Sully turned toward the officer he'd been arguing with.

"Now do you think she just took off, officer?" The officer swallowed hard.

"We'll have to take this phone as evidence, Sir. I'll have an officer follow you home."

"I can manage getting him home," Grace promised. "Come on, Sully. Let's go."


	3. Empty

**Chapter 3: Empty**

"_Sully, could you help me, please?" Sully got out of bed, his head aching from the lack of sleep. The past three nights, he and Michaela had gone to the hospital, thinking this was going to be it. But no, it was false labor each time, which her doctor, Dr. Charlotte Cooper, had explained was common for first time moms. _

"_Is it time?" he asked groggily, stepping into the bathroom, where Michaela was kneeling over the bathtub. She laughed._

"_No," she said tiredly. "I knelt down to rinse my hair under the tub faucet, and I can't get back up!" He could tell this upset her, not being able to do certain things and feeling so helpless. _

"_Oh," he said softly. "That' s alright. Here." He held onto her and helped her back up. She was about to burst into tears. "Oh, baby, don't cry. C'mere." He held her close and stroked her hair and gently rubbed her back. "It's alright. Just a few more days, and you'll be pickin' yourself up all the time, huh?"_

"_I suppose. I'm just so ready for this…I can't wait to hold our baby, Sully."_

"_Me neither," he whispered, placing his hands on her belly. "Won't be much longer, and we'll probably be wishin' she was still inside of ya."_

"_Speak for yourself!" Michaela exclaimed, swatting his arm. "I love being pregnant, but nine months is long enough. I don't care how much she cries, I'll just be glad she's not kicking me in the ribs." She giggled as she felt the baby's foot push gently against her stomach. "Speaking of…" Sully moved his hand over her belly, feeling the little foot pressing there. He knelt down and kissed her stomach. _

"_Hey little one, when're you comin' out? We can't wait to meet ya."_

"_While you're down there," she laughed, "see any stretch marks?" He shook his head._

"_You're beautiful." Michaela rolled her eyes._

"_I'm as big as the Titanic, but if you want to try flattery…well, I guess it's working." She smiled, and he pulled her close._

"_Good, but ya know, I only speak the truth."_

* * *

He woke in a cold sweat, his heart beating rapidly, as his body shook all over. He hadn't meant to fall asleep. He'd fallen asleep still clutching the cordless phone, waiting on any news on Michaela.

He had gone out looking for her. He and Robert E. had searched through the woods, while Grace closed up shop for the day to take care of Katie. After hours of searching, they'd come up with nothing, and Sully explained how he knew Michaela was alive, and she was out there somewhere but wasn't safe. He knew somebody had her, but he didn't know where to start.

He'd been on the phone with the police, telling them bits of what he could remember from earlier, like the scream that hadn't sounded like Michaela's. They had no leads yet, and they told him that if they found out anything, they'd call him. And the phone hadn't rung since.

Sully had thought about calling Michaela's parents, but there was a shred of hope that remained inside of him that told him that maybe Michaela would come back in the morning. Maybe it was all a big mistake; a misunderstanding. He didn't want them to know until he knew for sure what kind of a mess this was. He knew they would be angry for not telling them sooner, but until Michaela was listed as a missing person, he couldn't take any chances of anybody getting in the way. If the police couldn't find her, he vowed to himself and to his daughter that he would get the job done…somehow.

He turned over to find Katie's crib right beside his bed. He was alarmed at first, but then he remembered bringing it in so he could be close to her. He turned on the bedside table lamp and he peered into the crib to see the steady rise and fall of her chest.

He breathed a sigh of relief and pulled himself out of bed. He walked groggily out into the hall and down the stairs. When he reached the kitchen, he put on a pot of coffee and opened the cabinet doors, seeing Michaela's favorite coffee cup right there in front. He'd bought it for her as a gag gift for the baby shower. It said "New Mommy. Show Me the Coffee!" She'd loved it, and after the baby was born, it became a regular sight at the breakfast table.

He reached for a dull blue cup next to it and settled down at the table to wait for the coffee to finish percolating. He strummed his fingers against the tabletop, wondering, waiting.

By the time the coffee was ready, Sully wasn't even tired anymore. But he drank it down anyway and sat at the table, staring blankly at the spot Michaela had sat at that very morning. It was hard to grasp that she was actually gone. Part of him wondered that if he went back upstairs, he'd find her sleeping in their bed, not a thing wrong. But the sane part of him knew better.

He felt very alone and like the world around him was pressing in; suffocating him. He was hanging on the edge with nobody to pull him up. He needed someone to talk to, and the only person he could think to call was the one person he didn't want to worry yet. But, he knew in his heart this wasn't going to be an easy case of Michaela returning the next day. Her parents deserved a right to know. It was nearing midnight, but he knew Josef stayed up late.

So, he picked up the phone, and he began to dial the numbers, his body feeling numb, and his mouth feeling as dry as the desert, as sweat poured down him.

"H-hello?" came a voice, followed by a yawn.

"Josef? It's Sully. Did I wake ya up?"

"No, no. I'm just reading some incredibly boring medical texts. Michaela would understand." He chuckled. "What's going on? It's awfully late, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he said slowly. "Josef, something's happened, and I'm not sure how to tell ya…"

"What? Is it Michaela? Is it Katie? Sully, what's happened?"

"We were going for a walk in the park today. I…I went back to use the grocery store phone. I had to call my boss. I…well, when I got back to the park to meet up with Michaela, I found Kate there…her stroller…it was overturned. Michaela's…she's missing, Josef." He heard the line go silent, and for a second he thought Josef had hung up. "Josef?"

"Sully…I…I'm here. I'm just not certain I heard you…"

"You heard me. She's missing, and…they won't list her as a missing person until she's been gone for twenty four hours. Josef, I don't even know if she's going to be alive in twenty four hours." He was trying his best to keep his voice steady.

"Elizabeth and I will be there first thing in the morning."

"You don't…"

"We're coming, Sully. You need our help, and so does Michaela. I'm going to call CSPD right now and demand they start looking for…"

"No," Sully said, "I've tried."

"Well, I'm going to try too. I can't sit here and do nothing. We're leaving right away." The phone line went dead, and slowly Sully put the phone down. He went up to his and Michaela's bedroom, picked up Katie out of her crib, and sat down on the edge of the bed, rocking her in his arms, needing to feel closer to Michaela. As he held his daughter in his arms, he felt connected to his wife. But all he truly wanted was to be holding her in his arms with the knowledge that all was well with the world. He couldn't even feel her. He couldn't sense that she was alright. That scared him more than anything, more than knowing that she was gone. It was the thought of never seeing her that made him pray that this was all a bad dream and that tomorrow he'd wake with her in his arms.

* * *

She woke with a throbbing headache, lying on the cold, hard ground. Her hands and feet were numb, and she realized that they were stuck together. She couldn't see anything in the darkness, but as her eyes slowly began to adjust, she realized her wrists and ankles were wrapped in duct tape.

"Sully…" she tried to sit but found it difficult. Groaning softly, she managed to find a wall to prop up against as she wriggled into a seated position. Gasping for breath, she felt with her lips for a ridge in the tape. Once she found it, she tore at it with her teeth until she heard it separating from itself. Within a few minutes, her hands were free, and she began to work at her ankles. Her whole body was stiff, but she worked diligently at removing the tape from her sore ankles.

By the time she'd managed to stand, she hit her head against the low ceiling. Crying out, she fell to her knees, holding the back of her head in her hands.

"Who are you?" came a cry from nearby. Michaela froze.

"Where are you? I…I can't see you." She groaned in pain, as she tried to crawl.

"Over here. I think I'm in the corner…I can see you…" Michaela followed the voice, and soon, her hands found the girl's ankles.

"Here, let me help you." She helped the girl out of her binds before she sat down next to her. She could just now make out the outline of the girl's face. She was young, Michaela could tell. This must've been the girl who she'd heard scream.

"Where are we?"

"I don't know," Michaela breathed. "I'm not certain of anything. I just…"

"I saw him take you. He was after me. You're here because you heard me scream." The girl's voice was quivering.

"Who was it?"

"I don't know. My father's a rich man. I'm guessing…I'm guessing they took me for the ransom and you because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time." The girl started to cry, and Michaela found her hand.

"We'll find a way out of here."

"If we even knew where we were," the girl whimpered. Michaela crawled through the dark until her hands reached out and touched a staircase.

"I think we're in a basement," she concluded. She could hear footsteps creaking overhead.

"They won't kill me," the girl pointed out. "If they're in it for ransom, they won't. But…you…" Michaela thought about Sully and Katie. She could only hope that Sully had found their daughter before some stranger could. The fact that she'd had to leave her daughter all alone like that sickened her, and she just wanted to get home and pretend it never happened.

"My name is Michaela. What's yours?" She made her way back over to the girl.

"Laura Conrad." Michaela rubbed her sore temples, but then the name struck a chord with her.

"Conrad…John Conrad's daughter?"

"How do you know him?"

"He's the Chief of Staff at the hospital. I worked there during my residency. I believe my father might know him…" Some hope filled her voice, but it didn't register with the young woman.

"Oh."

"He's a good man, Laura. Whatever it is these men want…he'll give it to them to get you back."

"I hope so," she cried. "I just want to go home."

"It's alright. We'll get out of here. We will. Just…just be strong, ok?" Michaela leaned against the cold, grimy wall. Tears streamed down her face, as she thought of her husband and daughter. God, what she wouldn't give to be home with them. She was going to get out. She didn't know how, but she knew she had to survive for them.

* * *

"We could ransom her, too."

"That's too messy," the other said with an exasperated sigh. "Two ransoms? They're bound to connect the dots. I say we plug her and dump her in the river."

"That's great. Just great. You wanna risk our necks by committing a murder? This days in age, you can't be too careful what you do. They're gonna find ya eventually."

"What else do you suggest? Keep her here 'til we get Conrad's money and then let her go like that?" He shook his head. "You're the one that grabbed her. You got any better ideas?"

"She hasn't seen our faces, man. I don't think she'd be able to tell anybody who we are. I say we blindfold her, take her someplace secluded and let her go. She'd never know." The other man paused and shook his head.

"I don't know about this. Let's keep her down there a few days, get the money from Conrad, and then we'll figure out what to do." He got up and went over to the counter for a pack of cigarettes. He picked up the pack and lit one up, staring out at the woods that surrounded the house. He shook his head and started pondering their options.

* * *

"Josef, this isn't happening," Elizabeth sobbed, as they sat in on the plane, taking a very late redeye straight to Colorado Springs. "It can't be."

"Calm down, Beth," he whispered, gently patting her hand.

"How can you be so calm? Our daughter is…well, God knows what's happened to her! She could be dead! She could've been…been…oh no, I can't think about it…" She dabbed at her eyes. "And that poor baby…left all alone like that."

"She's alright, Beth. If she were hurt, Sully would've said something."

"How could this happen? Who would want to hurt her?"

"I don't know. I don't…and I couldn't get anything out of those bas…"

"Josef, what are we going to do if she's…"

"She's going to be fine, Beth. You'll see. She'll be fine."

* * *

"Sixteen year old Laura Conrad, daughter of Colorado Springs General Hospital Chief of Staff John Conrad, went missing early this afternoon from outside the gates of her father's million dollar estate. Security cameras were unable to detect a vehicle, as the abductors, clad in black coats and pants and wearing ski masks, dragged her off in the direction of the woods. Police have taken dogs out and are fully investigating this matter, as well as the case of another woman who allegedly went missing in the park this afternoon. The sheriff had no comment on whether he believed the two cases were related. More tomorrow at noon."

Sully turned the TV off, angry that this case was being pursued more than his wife's. He knew they were investigating, but because this girl was the daughter of a powerful man, it seemed as if the police were doing more for her than for Michaela. He knew he shouldn't think such things. The girl was young and was probably very scared, but in that moment, all he could think about was how scared Michaela was, and how by the looks of the scene he'd found when he'd arrived, she'd probably put up quite a struggle. He only hoped they hadn't hurt her because of it. She was a fighter through and through, and if anybody could get out of this alive, she could.

_Feedback would be wonderful! Thanks!_


	4. Golfing Buddies

**Chapter 4: Golfing Buddies**

Sully had managed a few restless hours of sleep, and when Katie woke around seven thirty, he was barely able to pull himself out of bed. He felt as if a ton of bricks had been dumped onto his chest over night. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to do anything that involved getting up and facing the day without Michaela.

But Katie's persistent cries pulled him out of his immobility. He sat up slowly and finally stood and picked the baby up out of her crib.

"I know Mommy's the one that usually gets ya up," he said softly, "but Mommy's not here this mornin'. She'll be home real soon, I promise. Daddy's gonna see if you can stay with Aunt Grace and Uncle Robert E. while he goes and looks for Mommy. Ok?" Katie only continued to fuss, until Sully took her into the nursery and over to the changing table. He cleaned her up and got her dressed, and within a few minutes, she was suckling away at a warm bottle. He rocked her gently in the chair, and he just waited. He was waiting for the phone, for the doorbell, for anything that might give him news on Michaela.

Before he knew it, Katie had finished her bottle. So, he carried her into the kitchen, placed her in her high chair, and he sat there, cordless phone in hand.

"Come on," he breathed. "Call. Please." He tapped the phone against the side of the table, and his toes tapped on the tile floor beneath the table. Katie yawned and happily entertained herself by babbling, as her father sat in painful silence.

The doorbell rang, and he nearly jumped out of his skin. He stood, kissing the top of Katie's head.

"Daddy'll be right back," he promised. He made his way into the living room and opened the door, surprised to find Josef and Elizabeth standing there, eyes bloodshot with dark circles under them. It took him a few moments to register the memory of Josef saying they were heading out.

"Sully, is there any news on my daughter?" Elizabeth asked, tears flooding her eyes. He shook his head numbly.

"Nothing yet. There's another kidnapping case they're looking into." He moved out of the way and they came in, shutting the door behind themselves.

"You mean, someone else is being made high priority over _my little girl?_" Elizabeth asked. "Where's my grandbaby?" Sully motioned toward the kitchen, and Elizabeth fled in that direction, Sully and Josef right behind her. Elizabeth picked up her granddaughter and just held her, not wanting to let her go.

"The daughter of some…big shot at the hospital."

"Who?" Josef asked, his eyes widening.

"John Conrad's daughter Laura." Josef's face went pale.

"John? Why, he's an old golfing buddy of mine. He worked with me for years in Boston before transferring out here." A little hope filled Sully's eyes.

"I don't know if it's got anything to do with Michaela, but…you think he might be able to…"

"I don't know, but I can try. Let me use your phone." Sully nodded, and Josef rushed off to call his old golfing pal. Sully and Elizabeth sat down at the table, Elizabeth cradling Katie.

"What was the last thing she said to you?" Elizabeth asked, wanting to hold on to anything she could of her daughter.

"She uh…she told me she was going to keep heading toward the park. She told me to catch up, and I promised her I would." He shook his head. "It wasn't more than ten minutes. I don't think. I don't know. It's all blurring together now, and…" Police reports, questions, ambulances, sirens. It was all one blurry single impossible moment.

"She was happy?"

"'Course she was happy. We were talkin' just that morning about havin' another baby." He shook his head. "We had a good day, you know? We were takin' the baby for a walk. I got a call from…from work." He rubbed his sleepy eyes. "I went back, and she went on without me. I called, and then I went straight for the park. It was all so fast. I just can't…I can't understand."

"Why would somebody do something like this to someone? To someone's family?! It's sick!" She shook her head. "And why Michaela? She never hurt anyone. She dedicated her life to…to helping people. To saving lives."

"Don't."

"What?" She was taken aback by Sully's tone.

"Don't talk about her in the past. She's not dead."

"No I didn't mean…"

"I know, but just…don't. She's alive, and I'm going to find her."

"How?" Elizabeth asked. "Where would you even begin to look?"

"In a few hours, she'll be listed as a missing person, and dozens of people are going to be searching those woods for both her and for Laura Conrad. I don't know what they'll find, but I don't think they'll find either of them. I'm going out there, and I'm going to look for any clues. I'm going to find my wife."

"And how do you even propose to go about that? Do you know what to look for? What to…" Sully sighed heavily.

"I don't care, ok? I have to find her. I have to get her back home!" He began pacing the kitchen floor. Josef entered, phone in hand.

"Josef?" Elizabeth asked. "Did you get him?"

"I told him about Michaela. He's worried about his own daughter, but he thinks there might be a connection."

"What?" Sully asked. "How?" He turned to his father-in-law.

"Laura's favorite place to go with her friends was the park. She'd meet them there, and they'd stay 'til all hours of the night. He thinks that maybe she tried to get away from the man who took her, and she ran to the only place that she thought maybe somebody she knew would be. The park is only six blocks from Conrad's house." Sully and Elizabeth looked at one another.

"Call the police," Sully said. "Tell them I'm heading out there right now."

"What about Katie?" Elizabeth wondered.

"Grace and Robert E. will be here any minute to take her. Please, just…stay here with them. Katie needs you right now, ok?" Elizabeth wanted badly to go search for her daughter, but she wasn't certain what help she could be, so she nodded in agreement and clutched the baby to her chest.

The phone rang, startling them both.

"Put it on speaker," Sully said in Josef's direction. Josef hit the button.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Josef, it's John here," he said quietly. "I just received something…"

"What is it?" Josef asked.

"A ransom note," he said, his voice shaking. "They want 200,000 for Laura's return."

"Give it to them then!" Josef explained.

"I am. I'm just…Josef, they said that they would kill her if they didn't get it. Josef, what if they kill her anyway?" Josef swallowed hard, and he thought about his own daughter.

"Do what they ask. You have to trust that they'll keep their word."

"They said they want the money by five o'clock and to leave it…"

"Where?"

"On one of the park benches." Sully nearly hit the roof.

"They have Michaela!" he screamed. "They have her!" Josef held Sully back from storming out the door.

"Sully, we don't know…"

"I know! They have her!"

"John," Josef said quickly, "is there anywhere we can meet you?"

"I'll meet you. I have press swarming outside my house right now. I can get rid of them and meet you there. I just need an address." Josef gave them the address, as Sully and Elizabeth stared on, confusion and worry in their eyes. When Josef hung up, he looked at Sully.

"What else do you remember about Michaela's disappearance?" Sully swallowed hard.

"The scream. I heard a scream before I entered the park. It wasn't Michaela's. It was maybe a minute before I got there. I think…I think the wheels on the stroller were still turning. It couldn't have happened more than thirty seconds before I got there. It was all so fast…I…"

"And this is in the police reports?" Josef's heart was beating wildly in his chest. Sully nodded.

"Yeah. I think so. I don't know…"

"Ok, when John gets here, we're going downtown. We'll do a press conference. Do you have a recent picture of Michaela?" Sully nodded, going over to the mantle of the fireplace. A picture of Michaela holding Katie the day they came home from the hospital was sitting there in a delicate frame. Sully removed the picture, and tears began to fall.

"She's going to be ok. She has to be, right?" he asked, not sounding so sure anymore. The more time that passed, the less likely it was that he'd ever see her again.

The doorbell rang, and Elizabeth moved to answer it. Grace and Robert E. came in with little Anthony in their arms.

"Sully, any word?" was the first word uttered from Robert E.

"We think the same men that took that Conrad girl took Michaela," Josef said for his son-in-law.

"The scream Sully heard," Elizabeth pointed out, "perhaps Michaela witnessed the whole thing, and that's why they took her." She placed a hand over her mouth. "Oh God. Maybe that means they won't let her go…because of what she saw."

"You remember Michaela's parents," Sully said flatly. Grace nodded.

"Nice to see you again, though I'm sorry it's not under good circumstances." She handed Anthony to Robert E. "Dr. Mike's the strongest lady I know. She's probably givin' 'em grief right now."

"Won't that get her hurt?" Elizabeth asked. Grace felt bad now, but she just put a hand on the woman's shoulder.

"Your daughter is my best friend, and I've been praying every since it happened. I know she's gonna be alright. I know it. I can feel it. You just have to believe she's gonna make it home alright." Sully stared out the window, waiting for John Conrad. It wouldn't be long now.

* * *

"Laura? Laura, wake up." Michaela had managed to find a basement window and had scratched at the grime with her fingernails until she'd managed to get a clear patch of light. It was a sunny day, and all she could see was a gravel driveway and what seemed like miles and miles of grass and trees.

She could now just almost completely see her way around the dark basement. Her eyes had adjusted long ago, and with the minimal light from outside, she could at least see a little better.

"Mmm…what is it?" Laura woke, shivering from cold. Michaela placed her hands on the girl's shoulders.

"I found a window," she whispered. "Someone left…maybe an hour ago. I don't think we're alone, though. I…I'm pretty sure I heard someone moving upstairs." She swallowed hard. But this window…" She helped Laura over to it. Both were still quite stiff and sore. "I don't think we can fit through it, but maybe we can break it with something, get some fresh air in here." Laura nodded.

"There's a loose brick in the wall," she muttered, "near where I was sleeping." Laura hobbled over and in a few moments, came back with the brick in her hand. Michaela knew it would be too loud, so, she looked around for something to wrap the brick in. Not finding anything around, she managed to rip off a strip from her dress, wrapping the brick in that. She closed her eyes and smashed the window with the brick. It was louder than she'd hoped, but a gush of fresh air came in, and Michaela took a deep breath, feeling a little better. That still didn't make up for the fact that she was trapped like a rat in a cage.

She heard something like metal clattering up above, and it was then that the door started to open. Michaela gasped, and she and Laura moved to the darkest corner of the basement. Who knew what this guy would do if he knew they'd gotten out of the duct tape.

"Hey? Hey, I got food for you two." He flipped a switch on the wall outside of the door. Michaela and Laura both squinted into the light. Neither looked at him, but he had the same mask on his face. "Hey, look, I ain't gonna hurt ya. We don't got much, but I found soup and bread in the cabinets. He sat the tray down on the ground. "Look, my friend, he went to take care of the ransom. You can go just as soon as we get the money."

"Both of us?" Michaela asked, her voice shaking.

"Lady, I don't know. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"You're the one that took me." He paused.

"I didn't wanna hurt nobody, alright? We took the girl, 'cause we wanted the ransom. I took you 'cause you saw me tryin' to get the girl."

"I didn't see anything. You took me because you were scared." She was surprised by the anger in her voice. She hadn't expected to be so bold with her captor.

"Hey, I didn't want any of this to happen. I got three kids and a wife to take care of. They think I'm on a business trip. Do ya know what it's like lyin' to your family like that?"

"No, I don't. But I know what it's like to have a child, and she's young. She needs me." Michaela's voice was quaking with fear. "I need my family, Mister. Just let us go. Please…she's six months old. Please!" He was silent, and she couldn't tell what he was thinking, considering he was wearing that awful ski mask. "Please!" He sighed heavily.

"I can't do that. Look, he's gonna have the money. If I don't do like he wants, I ain't gonna get that money. I got medical bills to pay, I got a mortgage."

"I'm a doctor. I…I can help…" The man shook his head.

"Look, I shouldn't be down here talkin' to you." He got up to go back upstairs.

"Wait! Wait! My husband…he…he works in construction. We have plenty of savings. If you just…just call him. He'll give you whatever you want. Just let us go. I need to be with my family."

"Nah. Two ransoms…they'll be able to find us, Ma'am. I just can't…" He got up to leave, and Michaela screamed after him, but in a moment, the lights went out, and the door shut and locked. She rushed up the stairs, pounding angrily with her fists.

"Let me out! Damn it, let me out!" She continued to scream and pound on the door, but to no avail. "Please! Please, let me out…" She slumped down on the top of the steps, all of her energy drained. She sobbed, hot, thick tears running down her face. "Please…I just want my baby…I just want my family…"

"Hey," Laura said softly, moving up the stairs to sit next to her, leaning against the door. "It'll be ok. I bet my father and your husband have everybody in the state out looking for us." Michaela nodded, not convinced. She knew her husband would do everything in his power to get her back, but she also knew that he had Katie to take care of, and Katie was definitely supposed to come first.

"You're right," she whispered. "You're right. They'll come for us. I know they will."

_Please let me know what you think! Thanks!_


	5. The Break

**Chapter 5: The Break**

The police department had allowed a press conference for Mr. Conrad, and he had insisted that Sully be able to speak too. Of course, Sully had cleared his comments with what the police already had on record, and he was now more sure than ever that the man or men who had taken Laura Conrad took Michaela too.

Josef was still talking with the chief of police, but Sully had snuck out after the press conference, and he'd gone to the spot where the search was going to begin. The park. He was going to find his wife, and he was more determined than ever.

He checked his cell phone to see if he'd received any calls. Nothing. He noticed he only had one bar of service, so he put the phone back in its clip on his belt, and he started into the woods, hoping to find any trace of evidence he could find to help him get to Michaela.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Laura asked, as the light filtering through the murky window began to shift its beam onto another spot on the floor.

"You're going to get out and go home to your father. We just have to wait for the ransom to come in…"

"But what about you? You wouldn't be in here if it wasn't for me. This never would've happened if I hadn't run to the park."

"Hey," Michaela said groggily, "you did exactly what you should've done. You ran, and you took them on a chase. It just turned out that nobody was at the park that could help you."

"Except for you. And they took you too." She began to cry. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Michaela pulled her arms around the girl's shoulders.

"Shh, it's alright. It's going to be alright."

"You should be home with your baby and your husband. Not here with me." She sniffled.

"I will be soon, I know it. We just have to think of a way to get out of here, alright?" The girl nodded.

"How? They won't let us out of here…"

"I know. We just have to use our heads. We can do that. Come on. Let's think." Michaela looked around, while Laura calmed down. The girl looked over toward the window.

"What time do you think it is?" Michaela studied the light.

"I'd say it' s nearing three o'clock."

"How do you know that?"

"My husband's quite the outdoorsman," she said softly, smiling at the memory of their first camping trip together.

* * *

"_What is that?" she asked with both curiosity and disgust, as Sully poked around in a frying pan._

"_Eggs."_

_"Ok, you're not allowed to criticize my cooking anymore," she said, making a teasing face. "That looks terrible, honey." Sully eyed her._

"_Oh yeah, if you were holding this frying pan, these eggs would be good for nothing but charcoal."_

"_Very funny," she replied, rolling her eyes. She settled down on the log next to her husband. It was their first morning of camp. They'd set out at dawn, and they'd found the perfect romantic, secluded spot. They were ready for breakfast now, and Sully knew that his new bride wasn't exactly an expert woods-woman. _

"_I thought we'd go fishin' today."_

"_Fishing?" Michaela asked. "I've never done that."_

"_Well, there's a first time for everything." There was a low growl in his voice that excited her, and she raised an eyebrow._

"_There certainly is." She softly kissed his neck, her hand resting on his thigh and moving slowly upwards. This caused him to drop the frying pan, and ashes went flying through the air._

"_Oh!" she cried out. "Sorry." _

"_Mmm, that's alright. I think I like what you're doin' a whole lot better." With that, he took her into his arms and finished what she'd started._

* * *

"He must be some guy," Laura said. "If I ever get out of here, maybe I'll find one like him." Michaela smiled.

"You will." She looked over toward the window. "I think we still have some time before the other one gets back. Let's think, Laura. How can we get out of here?" Michaela began to pace, slightly bending over so she wouldn't hit her head on the low ceiling of the basement. She could hear one of their captors walking around up there, probably waiting for his partner in crime to get back.

She crept up to the door slowly and turned the knob carefully. It was locked, which she wasn't surprised about. Somehow she had to get up there and out the door. If she could just get outside, she could find her way back home. She didn't know how far away from home they were, but as long as they could get free, they could manage the distance.

"What're you thinking about?" Laura asked.

"I'm not sure yet. Just…give me a minute." The wheels in her head were turning, and slowly but surely, a plan was starting to develop.

* * *

"This is a picture of your mommy the day she was born," Elizabeth said sadly, as she pointed to a picture in Michaela and Sully's photo album. "She was about the same size as you, and I think you look so much like she did when she was your age." She found a picture of Michaela's kindergarten graduation and then her high school graduation. She stood before her high school with a beaming smile on her face, dreams of medical school and a career in medicine floating through her head.

"You know, Katie, your mommy was determined that she could be anything if she put her mind to it. And you know what? She was right. She can be anything…do anything. And I know right now that she's…she's trying to get home to you, so she can pass down to you those same big dreams." Elizabeth kissed her daughter's forehead. "Oh, sweetheart, I don't care what you do. I don't care if you're a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, or if you wait tables your whole life, I'll love you no matter what." Katie gurgled and smiled at her grandmother.

Grace and Robert E. sat in the living room, while Anthony played on the floor with some of Katie's toys. They watched the grandmother and granddaughter, and Grace had tears in her eyes.

"Katie, your grandma's right. Your mama's gonna do everything she can to get here." She let out a slow breath. Katie played with the bracelet around Elizabeth's wrists.

"When…when did you two see my daughter last?" Elizabeth wondered. Grace and Robert E. looked at one another and then back at their friend's mom.

"Just a few days ago. She came into the café on her lunch break," Grace explained. "But I talked to her on the phone yesterday. If…if it makes you feel any better, she was very happy. She's just…she's been so happy lately with the baby and with Sully."

"I remember the day she told me she and Sully were getting married," Elizabeth said with a smile. Of course, I was quite overprotective of my youngest daughter. But she came running up the steps of the townhouse, and she was clutching his hand. See, he'd come to Boston to surprise her. They started dating during the beginning of her residency, and I thought perhaps they were coming with some news about her exams. Well, that's what they lead me to believe. First she told me she'd passed her exams, and then she showed me the ring. Well, Josef could vouch for this, but I just about fainted! I thought she was going to tell me she was throwing away all of her education as a doctor to marry him, and I was all set to forbid it until Sully spoke up and said that they were already buying the perfect little building for her to set up her own clinic." Elizabeth smiled at the memory.

"He's always been so good to her."

"Yes," Elizabeth said with a nod. "He has. I was never too keen on any of the young men that Michaela ever had an interest in, but my God, I've never heard someone talk about somebody so much in my entire life. Josef and I knew that Sully was the one when the only thing Michaela wanted to talk about when she called home was Sully."

Elizabeth closed the photo album.

"This is silly. There's no use reminiscing. Michaela will be here and can tell Katie these things herself." Grace squeezed Robert E.'s hand, hoping Elizabeth's words would ring true.

"How about I make us some dinner?" Grace offered.

"I couldn't eat," Elizabeth said quietly.

"You need your strength, Mrs. Quinn. Come on, I'll put on a pot of coffee." Elizabeth nodded and followed her into the kitchen."

"There anything I can do?" Robert E. asked. Grace stepped out of the kitchen and came up to her husband.

"Leave Anthony with me. You go see if you can catch up with Sully, see if you can help him look." Robert E. nodded and gave his wife a kiss. "Be careful."

"I will." He headed off, and Grace carried Anthony into the kitchen to play with Katie.

"Well now? What sounds good?"

"Sully?" Robert E. called, hurrying to catch up to Sully. Sully turned, surprised.

"Robert E.? What're you doin' here?"

"I came to help."

"I don't need…"

"Yes you do," Robert E. replied. "You're my friend, Sully, and Dr. Mike is my friend. I wanna help look for her. Now, those search parties are gonna be here soon. Do ya wanna go back and wait for 'em, or do ya wanna keep goin'?"

"Keep goin'," he replied. "I can't stop now."

"Did you find anything?"

"Not yet."

"I tried callin' your cell," Robert E. commented, handing a flashlight to Sully he'd picked up from out of his truck. "Guess the reception ain't good out here." Sully shook his head.

"No. Probably won't have a signal 'til we find the road. I know there' s one comin' up. I think they had the getaway car there. I think…we find that road, we're closer to Michaela than ever."

* * *

Michaela could hear the tinkling ring of a cell phone, so she motioned for Laura to be quiet. She made her way up the steps and pressed her ear to the door, only to hear the muffled words of one of her captors.

"You got the money? Good. Ok. The girl? Yeah. I'll drop her off where she needs to be. Yeah. The other one?" Michaela listened intently. "No. No, man, I can't do it. I can't risk addin' murder charges." Michaela covered her mouth to try to muffle her worried whimper. "No. No. No I know that. I don't…look, I can't. I just…alright. Ok. Yeah. Yes. Look, I said I'd do it, alright? Just chill out. It'll be done." When he stopped talking, she knew he'd hung up, and she hurried down the steps, fear carved into her features.

"Are you ready?" Laura nodded, and she immediately began to rock back and forth, clutching her stomach.

"Ohhhhhh! Oh help!" she moaned loudly, coughing and retching.

"Somebody help!" Michaela exclaimed. "Something's wrong! Something's wrong!" She hurried up the steps to the door and began to bang on it, fear enveloping her. What if he opened the door and had a gun?

"What's goin' on down there?"

"She's very sick! She needs a doctor."

"You're a doctor. You said you were."

"I can't do anything for her down here! She needs help! I think she might be…dying."

"That ain't my problem, lady." A hint of worry clung to his words. "Look, she'll be alright?"

"Are you willing to risk your money for that?"

"We already got the money?"

"So you're going to get your money and return the girl to her family dead?"

"Look, like I said, it ain't my problem."

"Please…look, I know you're not bad. I know you're not…just…look, just please help her and your friend never has to know. You can leave me here…you can…you can drop her off at the hospital, and he'll never have to know." There was silence on the other side of the door.

Michaela slowly slinked down the steps and hid beneath them. Laura cowered in the corner, waiting for the captor to come down. She hid her face, not wanting to give him any excuse to harm her in case he didn't have his mask on.

The lock unhooked, and the light from upstairs flooded through the slats in the stairs. Laura continued to moan in fake agony, as Michaela watched and waited. As soon as he stepped down, Michaela reached through the step slats, grabbed his ankle, causing him to fall right down onto the hard cement floor of the basement.

"Laura, come on!" Laura hurried, but she stopped at the unconscious man that lay before her feet. She reached into the hand of the man, finding a cell phone there. Michaela's eyebrows rose in surprise at the girl's quick thinking after such an ordeal, and she and Laura made their way into the house for the first time. Michaela quickly shut and locked the basement door.

Getting a glimpse of one another in full light for the first time, they realized how terrible they both looked after such an ordeal. Laura's tear and dirt stained face fell at the sight of the bruises on her arms. Michaela had bruises of her own, some she hadn't even felt.

"Phone," Michaela said quickly, reaching for the phone on the wall. The line was dead, but Laura handed her the cell phone. Michaela turned it on, and the only number she could think to dial was her husband's. She dialed the seven numbers and clicked Send. There was silence, and then she heard the familiar outgoing call ring, and she closed her eyes, praying her husband would pick up the phone.

_Feedback would be great! Thanks!_


	6. Unraveling

**Chapter 6: Unraveling**

One ring. "Pick up!" Two rings. "Sully, please. Please, pick up!" Three rings. "No! No! Come on!"

"Hi, you've reached Sully. I'm not near my phone right now, which means I'm probably spendin' time with my beautiful wife and our new daughter. Leave me a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks." _Beep_.

"Sully!" she cried out. "Sully, it's me! I'm…I don't know. Someone took me…took us. Laura Conrad's here. We've managed to…to…I don't have time for this. Please, hurry!" She thought quickly about what she needed to tell him. "Laura, the address!" Laura's eyes widened, and she rushed outside try to find out where they were at. Luckily, the address was printed right on the mailbox. She called in the address. "Sully! I'm at on 520 North. A rural road. I'm not…I'm not sure how far away that is but please…" _Beep_. Tears streamed down her face.

"Call the police!" Laura exclaimed, hurrying back inside. "Call them…" Michaela began to dial 911, and at that point, she heard a car pulling into the gravel drive.

"No!" Michaela hissed. She looked around her surroundings, finding no escape. She motioned for Laura to be quiet and follow her. She didn't know how she was going to get them out of this, but she was going to try. She dialed 911, hit Send, and prayed they'd pick up on the urgency of the situation.

* * *

Sully and Robert E. reached the road, and it was then that Sully's phone beeped at him. His heart leapt in his chest both in fright and in hope.

"What's that?"

"Missed call. I have a signal here." He opened the phone, checking the call. It was one he didn't recognize. He dialed his voicemail, confused but still full of hope. The moment he heard her voice, he nearly went weak in the knees. He started to teeter, but Robert E. grabbed onto him. Tears were in Sully's eyes, and he took a deep breath. "It's her, Robert E. It's her." Relief washed over him as he played the message again. "520 North. She's hidden away in the country."

"520 North? I know where that is! I did a few welding jobs up the road from there! Come on, let's back track to the truck." Sully nodded, but just as they went to head back into the woods, flashing lights and sirens came zooming into sight and sound. Sully and Robert E. rushed to the middle of the road, where the first police car stopped dead in its tracks.

"What're you doing? Are you crazy?!" the officer behind the wheel of the first car asked.

"Where are you going?"

"Get out of the way, buddy!"

"Are you going to 520 North?"

"Yeah…we got a strange call, sounded like somebody's in trouble." Sully's heart froze in panic.

"That's my wife! I'm going with you." The other cars zoomed past at full speed, as Sully and Robert E. piled into the back of the officer's car. "Hurry!"

* * *

Michaela and Laura held onto one another, as they wedged themselves behind the farthest cabinet by the wall, listening to the sounds of the other man's shoes as he walked across the floor, wondering what was going on.

"Dan? Hey! Where you at?" Michaela closed her eyes, thinking of her family and nothing else. "Come on, this isn't funny? You shoulda been back by now. I have the money." He lugged the briefcase up onto the kitchen table, opening it up and finding plenty of unmarked bills. He smiled to himself, chuckling and shaking his head.

"We probably could've got a cool million out of it. But this ain't bad for a quick job, you know?" He looked around, glancing toward the basement door. "You ain't down there, are ya? You ain't takin' a fancy to that woman, are ya? If you're messin' with her, you best tell me now, 'cause we're really gonna have to get rid of her then." No reply. "Dan?" He sighed, moving over toward the door, giving it a swift kick with his heavy foot. Laura jumped, and Michaela held onto her, hoping she wouldn't make any noise. "This ain't funny anymore, man! Where are you?!" He banged on the basement door, and finally, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a pistol. Laura began to shiver with fright, and Michaela closed her eyes tighter.

He unhooked the latch that locked the basement door, and he flipped on the light. Michaela motioned for Laura to remain quiet, and as the man peered into the basement, he gasped at the sight of his friend.

"Dan! What're you doin'? Damn it, where the hell is the woman?" He started to descend the stairs, and Michaela rushed out from her hiding spot. He heard her, however, and turned just before she could try to shove him. He grabbed onto her wrists, causing her to cry out, and he knocked her down hard against the kitchen floor.

"You little bitch!" he seethed, slamming the basement door shut with his foot. "You'll pay for that." He cocked the hammer, and Michaela cried out.

"No, please! Don't!" She tried to turned and crawl away, knowing she wouldn't get far, but he pressed his boot down in the middle of her back, pressing her flat against the floor. She screamed out, and Laura hopped up from behind the counter.

"Leave her alone!" she screamed.

"Laura, no!" Michaela begged. The man turned the gun on Laura, and Michaela struggled under the pressure of his foot.

"I knew I should've just killed you both and been done with it." Sirens came screeching through the air, rattling the window panes. "Who called the cops? Huh? Who?!" He pressed down harder on Michaela's back. She could barely breathe now. "It was you, wasn't it? You're gonna regret that."

"COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP! WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED!" came a voice on the megaphone. "COME OUT NOW!"

"He has a gun!" Laura screamed, trying to further distract the man from harming the one person who had helped her get through this ordeal. Though now his finger was on the trigger, and in a moment, she could be dead.

"DROP YOUR WEAPON! THROW IT OUT THE WINDOW, OR WE COME IN SHOOTING!" Sully swallowed hard, waiting and praying that his wife would come out of this alive. He knew they wouldn't go in and intentionally hurt her, but who knew what could happen?

"You get out. I got what I wanted out of you," he said through clenched teeth, pointing at Laura. Laura shook her head.

"Let her go!"

"Don't be stupid, kid," he said angrily. "I'll kill her right now if you don't leave." He bent down, putting the gun to Michaela's temple. She closed her eyes, sobbing now, thinking of nothing but her family.

"Go, Laura. Go, it's ok!" Michaela cried. "Please, go. Go!" Laura hesitated only a moment before running out the door to the safety of the CSPD.

"Get up," he barked, lifting his foot off of her but keeping the gun pressed to her head. He roughly grabbed her by the hair, yanking her up. She screamed out in pain, and he dragged her to her feet, marching her to the door. "Get movin'." Michaela, tears in her eyes, stepped out into the light of the day for the first time in what seemed like days. The first face she saw was that of an officer with a gun pointed directly at her and her captor.

"Michaela!" Sully called out, from behind the door of a police car, where he was being detained by one of the officers so he wouldn't get in the way. Michaela's eyes widened as she caught sight of her husband.

"Sully!"

"You let her go!" Sully screamed. "Let her go!"

"Calm down, Sully," Robert E. said quietly from behind him. "Don't make this worse than it already is! Let the police take care of it. She's gonna be ok. She will be!"

"Put your hands up!" the commanding officer called. "Put your hands up and get out of here alive!" Michaela's voice was hoarse from screaming now, and her knees were buckling under her. The man holding her hostage smirked at his audience.

"Go," he said to her. "Just go." Michaela slowly stepped away from him, uncertain of what to do. Sully, on his toes and ready to pull his wife to safety, waited ready at the car.

"Hands up!" the officer yelled, as Michaela slowly began to walk away. But the man reached back and brought his hand forward, hitting her hard across the back of the head with the pistol handle. She went down, unconscious and unmoving, and the police swarmed in on him.

"Get down on the ground! GET DOWN!" they screamed over and over as Sully rushed to his wife, Robert E. right behind. He took her in his arms, carrying her to safety, calling for her to wake, praying for her to open her eyes.

* * *

"Oh, sweetheart," Elizabeth cried, as she held her daughter's hand. "You're safe now. You're safe."

"Katie?" Michaela was still quite groggy and had a pounding headache.

"She's sleeping soundly at home with Mr. Bray. He came by and offered to watch her. That's alright, isn't it?" Michaela nodded.

"Thank you for being here," she whispered. "Where…where's Laura?"

"She's safe at home with her parents," Josef spoke up. "Mike, she's going to be alright. So are you." He kissed his daughter's forehead. "We're going to stay as long as you need us to…"

"You don't have to…"

"Yes. We're your parents, and we almost lost you…we want to stay, Michaela," Elizabeth interjected. Grateful tears filled Michaela's eyes.

"Come on, Beth," Josef whispered. "Let's give Michaela and Sully a little time…" Grace moved toward the bed from the back of the room, as did Robert E.

"We're here if you need anything, alright? I'll bring by lunch tomorrow. I'll have to sneak it past the nurses, but I think I can manage." Grace winked.

"Thank you both," Michaela said, nodding. Grace and Robert E. slipped out of the room, and Sully moved across the room to his wife's bed. His eyes were red from crying, but they were full of relief now instead of fear.

"Hey," he whispered. "How ya feelin'?"

"Better," she whispered, blinking and trying to adjust herself in the bed. She was still so sore, but Sully helped and adjusted her pillows. "Sore. My head hurts."

"Want me to get ya somethin'?" Michaela shook her head.

"No, don't leave. I just want you to hold me." Sully smiled a little.

"I think I can manage that." Michaela slid over a little, making room for him, and he gently got into bed beside her, wrapping her in his arms.

"Don't leave me, ok?"

"I won't. Not ever." He kissed the side of her head, cupping her face and nuzzling her hair. "I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"It's not your fault."

"I shoulda been there." Michaela touched his cheek with her hand and shook her head.

"Nobody would have ever thought something like that would've happened. It's not your fault. It's not. We've gone to that park dozens of times, Sully." She rested her head on his shoulder. "It's over now. We'll go on, won't we?"

"Yeah," he breathed. "I just…I can't stop playin' it over and over in my head."

"Neither can I, Sully. It's not something either of us will forget right away. It's not something that'll be easy to get over. But we have each other, ok? I'm safe, Katie's safe, and I'm right here with you. That's all I want."

"That's all I want too. He laced his fingers in hers, and they fell asleep locked in each other's arms.

* * *

"Mommy's comin' home today!" Sully cheered, as he bounced Katie on his hip and carried her into Michaela's hospital room. It was the next morning, and Sully had left early in the morning to pick up Katie and send Loren home, and as he stepped into the room, he saw his wife sitting up in bed watching Little House on the Prairie on TV. She smiled and waved excitedly at her daughter. Sully placed the baby in her lap. "Say 'hi mommy!'" Katie grinned widely, and Michaela hugged her little girl.

"Oh sweetheart, I've missed you so much!"

"We missed you too," Sully replied. "We're just glad you're back." He caressed her cheek, being careful not to touch the bruises that had darkened a little over night. "You feelin' ok?"

"Yeah," she whispered. "Just sore. I'm a little dizzy."

"The doctor said ya might be. I can get the nurse…"

"No, it's alright. This is normal. I should know. I am a doctor…"

"Who needs to focus on bein' the patient for a little while. I'm gonna take care of you, alright?" She smiled, and as Sully leaned down to kiss her, Katie giggled.

"What's so funny, Miss Katie?" Michaela asked. Sully scooped Katie up in his arms and he held her up, flying her around and then bringing her back down safely to nestle against his chest.

"The papers are all signed," Sully said with a smile. "We can go home. You go on and change, and I'll keep Katie company." Michaela nodded and headed into the bathroom to change. Within a few minutes, a she was ready to go, and as they were about to leave, an unexpected visitor arrived.

"Charlotte?" Michaela asked, her eyebrows widening. Charlotte came over to hug her colleague, friend, and patient.

"How are you feeling? I came to see you yesterday, but I don't think you were quite with it."

"I'm…I'm better. I'm going home."

"I saw the discharge papers. I needed to come see you before you left, because there's something you need to know." Michaela and Sully looked at one another.

"There were a number of tests run yesterday, and well, since you weren't really conscious when you were brought in, they examined you to make sure you weren't...raped." Charlotte cleared her throat. Fear rose in Michaela's chest.

"Oh God. Charlotte…why didn't anybody tell me?" Sully felt a little lightheaded now, his world starting to spin. He pulled his free arm around Michaela, and he held her close. "I was…I don't remember." Tears formed in her eyes. "Charlotte…what is…"

"No. You weren't, Michaela. They didn't hurt you…at least…not in that way. You're alright. But I need to make sure that you're…both alright." Michaela and Sully both froze instantly.

"What?"

"The tests came back, and one of them…was a positive pregnancy test."

"Oh my God," Michaela gasped. "Oh my God!"

"Are you…sure?" Sully asked, concern continuing to build.

"It was a very clear positive, but I'd like to examine you just to make sure." Relief had first swept over Michaela, and then excitement, but the fear was returning. After all that she'd been through…what were her chances of having a healthy baby?

_Please let me know what you think!! Final chapter up tomorrow!_


	7. Epilogue

**Chapter 7: Epilogue**

"Go on," Michaela urged. "Go on, Katie." Katie peeked uncertainly around the corner. "Go get Daddy!" Katie grinned from ear to ear, and she tiptoed, just as her mommy had shown her, and she made her way over to the bed, climbing up using the stepping stool Michaela had placed there just minutes ago. Katie looked back uncertainly at her mother, but when Michaela nodded, smiling, she covered her mouth, giggling, and she hopped up onto the bed, jumping right onto Sully.

"Daddyyyyyy!" she screeched, her blonde pigtails flopping wildly, as she shook him. Sully shot up right in bed, taking hold of his daughter, tickling her into a fit of giggles.

"Oh you think that's funny, huh?" he asked, "huh? I'll show you!" He blew raspberries on her belly, causing her to screech.

"Daddy! Stoooooop!" she whined, giggling still. Michaela grinned, hurrying into the room, holding her year-old daughter's hand. She scooped her up and deposited her onto the bed with her sister and daddy.

"Good morning," Michaela said with a grin, hopping in and crawling under the covers with the rest of her family.

"Good mornin'," Sully said with a yawn, leaning over to kiss her, tasting the mint freshness of her breath. "Mmm…mint. My favorite." She winked at him, and pulled Elizabeth into her lap.

"What do you say, Miss Lizzie? Are you excited to go see Grandma and Grandpa tomorrow?" Elizabeth grinned, clapping happily.

"Papaw!" she said excitedly.

"Oh, uh-oh," Sully said, "what about Mammaw? I thought we talked about this, little miss? She's gonna wanna hear you say her name too!"

"Mammaw…" Elizabeth said with a grin.

"That's better," Michaela laughed. "You are named after her, already. Though this of course means the next one _must_ be a boy, and he _must_ be named after your grandpa." Sully laughed.

"One kid at a time, one at a time." He reached over and rubbed her belly. "Our little girl might hear you sayin' she should be a boy." Michaela placed her hand over Sully's on her belly.

"Oh no. I couldn't be happier we're having another little girl, but I did promise Father that if we ever have a son, Josef would be somewhere in the name. Though he did try very hard to get us to name her Josephine." She giggled, as Sully snickered.

"Well, we know where you get your persistence, huh?" Sully leaned in again, brushing his lips against Michaela's. "I'm sure ya didn't hurt his feelings any when ya told him we're namin' her Laura."

"Oh, I think he understands." She smiled.

"What'd Laura say when ya told her?"

"She got very excited," she laughed. "You know, she's going off to college this fall." She smiled a little.

"Can't believe it's goin' on two years since…" His voice trailed off. He knew Michaela didn't like to mention it when things were going this well, but it was something they both had to talk about, just so they could continue to deal with everything.

It had been just over a year and a half since Michaela's abduction, and things seemed to be back to normal. She still had bad dreams once in a while, but Sully always pulled her in his arms and held her until she went back to sleep.

Elizabeth and Josef had stayed for a few weeks to help out while Michaela recovered from her minor injuries. Sully had managed to be granted his request that most of the construction work he did be around Colorado Springs. From time to time, he still had to go off and spend a night or two away, but everyone was happier now. Michaela was glowing, just entering her fifth month of pregnancy with baby #3. Sully was already planning to add on to the house, but for now, they were comfortable and had no worries except bringing this new life into the world.

"I'm going to go ahead and give the girls their breakfast," Michaela said with a smile.

"Alright. I'm gonna go get in the shower." Michaela smiled, kissing him softly before gathering up the girls and heading out of the room.

"Bye Daddy!" Katie exclaimed.

"Bye Daaaa," Elizabeth grinned, waving a chubby arm in her daddy's direction. He waved back, as his three favorite girls disappeared down the hall.

* * *

Sully walked into the bedroom, where Michaela was standing in front of the full-length mirror, her shirt raised just above her belly. Her hands were placed there, and she seemed lost in contemplation. He smiled, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her, placing his hands on her belly, just next to hers.

"What're you thinkin' about?" She sighed softly and shook her head. "Michaela, if it's about what happened…you know it's better to talk about it." Michaela nodded.

"I know. I guess, I'm just thinking about how grateful I am that I got out alive. He wanted me dead, Sully. I could hear it in his voice. I knew he wanted me dead."

"He ain't never gonna hurt ya again. Neither one of 'em. They're both in prison for the rest of their lives."

"I know," she whispered, "but what scares me is that there are more people like them out there. I don't want our girls to ever go through what I went through. Nobody should ever go through that." She looked down, and she rubbed her belly thoughtfully.

"You and Laura…you made it through that. You're strong women, you know? Our girls are gonna be just as strong." She smiled, turning in his arms.

"You know just the right things to say just when I need to hear them." Sully pulled her close, feeling her bare belly press against his stomach. He rubbed her back, and she closed her eyes, tilting her head back. "I love you so much." He smiled, hugging her, burying his face in her shoulder, kissing her there. Pulling back, he caressed the side of her face and smiled.

"Me too. I love you more than anything."

**The End**

_Feedback would be great! Thanks for reading! Look for the sequel...soon! I'm already several chapters in and hope to finish it sometime in the next week!_


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